This was probably the second-worst Super Bowl experience of my life, behind the Patriots beating the Rams what seems like eons ago. Going into the game, I was hoping with all of my heart that the Broncos would win. If Peyton Manning isn't my favorite football player of all time, he's right up there with Marshall Faulk, London Fletcher, LaDainian Tomlinson and Calvin Johnson. The fact that Eli, who I also am a fan of, has more rings than Peyton is heart-wrenching. And I hate the Seahawks. I love Pete Carroll, and Russell Wilson is a strong brother in Christ, but I'd be beside myself if I had to watch Richard Sherman and Golden Tate hoist the Lombardi Trophy. All of that being said, I fully expected Seattle to win. Defense wins championships, even against record-breaking offenses. I wrote down some thoughts during tonight's game. As you can tell, I became less interested and critical as the game wore on.
Pregame:
-Who was part of the meeting that decided Kurt Russell would do the team intro videos? I mean, he was great, but what exactly was the relevance? Has he done anything of note in the last 10/15 years?
-Seattle's video had Metallica in the background, and Denver had Led Zeppelin. Epic, yes. Confusing as well.
-Seattle ran onto the field to the music of "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve. Um. Lyrics include: "Try to make ends meet, you're a slave to money then you die", and "I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me". I love that song, but it would not pump me up before the biggest game of my life.
-Some operatic, Grammy-winning singer sang the national anthem. (Upon researching, her name is Renee Fleming.) She was great, but Joe Buck said "Have you ever heard it sung better?" Two words: Whitney Houston. (http://youtu.be/Z1QmeEdFOSc) She doesn't even put any effort into the song until halfway through, and it's spectacular. NO comparison.
-Joe Namath and Phil Simms were present at midfield for the coin toss, to the point where Namath himself was doing the actual tossing of the coin. He stood. He tossed. The coin flipped. And... the referee had to snag it out of midair because the Seahawks hadn't called heads or tails yet! Some great moment would have ensued had the coin actually reached the ground, but the savvy of the referee prevented any kind of major fiasco. It would be too easy, and probably disrespectful, to make a drinking joke about Broadway Joe at this venture, so I'll move on.
1st Quarter:
-The fastest score in the history of the Super Bowl occurred when a miscommunicated snap sailed past Peyton into the endzone, where Knowshon Moreno thankfully recovered and was downed for a safety. Dating back to last year, the last two scoring plays in the Super Bowl were both safeties. Strange and ominous beginnings indeed. And very quickly upsetting any balance of Denver starting the game with the ball and Seattle getting the ball at the start of the second half.
-Around the 11:00 minute mark, Russell Wilson scrambled to his left, dove for the first down, and was marked a yard short. Seattle challenged the ruling. Upon review, the ball was moved forward at least half of a yard, yet the challenge was ruled unsuccessful and the Seahawks lost a timeout. Wait, what? If they challenged the spot of the ball, and the ball was moved after a review, didn't they win the challenge? Regardless of it being a first down or not? Strange. They kick a field goal to go up 5-0.
-The ensuing kickoff bounces out of the back of the endzone, ending the play. Somebody forgot to tell one of the Seahawks, because he came flying through and ran a Bronco over at the goalline. I'd never seen that actually happen before. I've always anticipated it, but never seen it. Yay for instant field position! That is, until Denver goes 3-and-out and gives the ball right back, feeding the early momentum.
-It is clear early on the Champ Bailey, a Bronco cornerback, is no longer capable of stopping anyone, let alone anyone good. Doug Baldwin is torching him left and right, which is hard to watch because there was a 6-8 year period where Bailey was the single best cornerback in the game. It sucks getting old.
-With two and a half minutes left in the quarter, Seattle throws a pass out to the left flat that falls incomplete. A small scramble for the ball occurs when there is confusion as to the possibility of the ball having traveled backwards and therefore being considered a lateral and a live ball. Upon looking at the first, quickest replay, it is VERY CLEAR that the ball traveled forward and was, indeed, incomplete. For reasons unbeknownst to me or any casual observer with a brain, Denver challenged the ruling on the field, hoping to be awarded possession of the ball. With no chance of an overturn happening, not only did Denver lose a timeout for the first half, but they lost the ability to gain an extra challenge should they successfully challenge any plays later. As the game played out, this was clearly a non-issue. But in that moment, idiocy reared its ugly head. Seattle kicks another field goal to go up 8-0.
-On Denver's next possession, Peyton throws a floater over the head of Julius Thomas that is intercepted. One can't help but start down the path of "Oh no; here we go again" in their minds regarding Peyton in playoff games.
2nd Quarter:
-Seattle capitalizes on this drive with a Marshawn Lynch touchdown run. As always happens, Skittles are thrown onto the field in celebration. He picks one up off the ground to show his teammates. Whether he ate it or not is unreportable. Seattle 15, Denver 0. 12:00 left in the first half.
-Denver's next possession nets them their first 1st down of the game. The drive itself sees 15 plays, amassing 49 yards over an 8 1/2-minute span. Until Peyton is hit as he throws in the direction of Moreno and the ball becomes a complete duck in the air. Know-help-shon hesitates and is caught flat-footed just long enough for Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith to snatch it from the air and return it for a touchdown. Peyton has now thrown a pick-six in consecutive Super Bowl appearances. First time for everything, huh? 22-0 Seahawks.
-It is also during this drive that the Broncos attempt a swing pass to the right side. This play falters when no blockers are in site, to which Nick erupts, "It's not a screen pass if there's no screen!" I concur.
-Trindon Holliday is a 5'5" sparkplug galavanting as a kick returner, and an electrifying one at that. He operates at both ends of the spectrum, possessing the ability to break one off at any time. He also possess the unfortunate ability of FUMBLING THE BALL REGULARLY, which he proceeds to do on the kickoff return. Luckily, his knee was down and Denver maintained control of the ball. Unluckily, Denver has a drive that gets them into Seattle's redzone, only to fail to convert on a 4th and 2. I imagine conventional wisdom says take the points and kick the field goal. I would not have been mad with either decision, even in hindsight. It was a risky call that didn't pay off. Seattle allowed the game to stay where it was, taking a 22-point lead into halftime.
Halftime:
-Bruno Mars is a brilliant performer. I've had the pleasure of witnessing his exploits at past events, so I knew what kind of dancing, singing performance to expect. He did not disappoint on any level, clearly having fun along the way.
-I wish the Red Hot Chili Peppers could've lasted longer than one song. And I wish the one song was something I actually understood the lyrics to. But, of course, "Give It Away" lends itself to this atmosphere very well.
3rd Quarter:
-As the second half begins and the Seahawks wait to receive the kickoff, Nick calmly offers that Seattle wide receiver Percy Harvin, himself recently recovered from various injuries, will return the kickoff for a touchdown. Which he does. Ugh. 29-0. These are no longer minor atrocities but instead are gaping holes to expansive to overcome. At this point, Seattle's offense has scored 13 points, its defense and special teams have scored 16 points, and Denver's entire team has still refrained from getting on the scoreboard.
-With 5:55 left in the quarter and the Broncos putting a drive together, Demaryius Thomas caught a pass across the middle and turned upfield. With a defender approaching, he changed hands with the ball to set up a stiff arm, which would have been successful had the defender not placed a well-aimed punch on the ball and knocked it loose. If there was any hope in Denver turning its fortunes around, they were lost when Seattle fell on the ball.
-Broncos defensive end Robert Ayers generally performs at a high level. Early on this game, it was obvious he was pressing too much and not fulfilling his assignments. He constantly lost containment on Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, allowing for some big plays. With 5:40 left in the quarter, I heard his name said in connection with a positive result for the first time.
-When Jermaine Kearse scored a touchdown 2:58 left in the quarter, it is clear the Broncos defense has completely given up. Five Bronco defenders bounced off of him on his way to the endzone, with little effort towards actually bringing him down. We have now reached a point where history can be made, with a score of 36-0. The largest margin of victory in a Super Bowl is 45, and no team has ever been shut out.
-Infinite history is averted when Demaryius Thomas makes quite a remarkable catch as time expires in the quarter for Denver's first score. They follow with a successful 2-point conversion to Welker. 36-8.
4th Quarter:
-Three minutes into the quarter, Seattle has driven into Denver territory, and the Broncos prove again that their defense has checked out when Doug Baldwin sheds several defenders on his way to the endzone, supplying the last score of the game. 43-8.
Postgame:
-If I had a dollar for every piece of green and blue confetti that was cannoned into the air, I'd be a very happy individual.
-The stage for the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation and owner/coach/player interviews was ridiculous. Small, inaccessible, and goofy-looking, the structure created a very strange atmosphere.
-How many times could the 12th man be acknowledged? That would have been a dangerous drinking game. Gotta give credit to the Seattle fans, though. Every time they were acknowledged, the place went crazy, so they were definitely representing their team at the game.
Final Reflections:
All in all, it was a disappointing game. While I expected the Seahawks to win, I did not expect one of the most thorough trouncings in the history of the Super Bowl. And I was definitely rooting for the Broncos. I really wanted Peyton to get another one. But the old adage rings true: Defense wins championships. Of course there are exceptions, but it's an old, tired cliche for a reason. This entire NFL season was fantastic. There were high scores, down-to-the-wire thrillers, exciting plays, and record-setting performances left and right. It's too bad the season ended without any such game. However, I must offer my congratulations to the Seahawks, as much as that pains me. They were routinely referred to as one of the best teams in the league, from start to finish. They played great when it was needed most, and will go down in history as the champions of Super Bowl 48. See you next year.
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